THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS— Herbie Hancock (Grammy Award winning musician, composer, and band...

THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS

college of communicationand fine arts

mentoring guide

“I’ve learned a lot from mentors who were instrumental in shaping me, and I want to share what I’ve learned.”

— Herbie Hancock (Grammy Award

winning musician, composer, and

band leader)

“Colleagues are a wonderful thing - but mentors, that’s where the real work gets done.”

— Junot Diaz (Pulitzer Prize winning

author and Professor of Writing at MIT)

“

”

Introduction || 3CCFA Mentoring Guide || 3

Why Do I Need A Mentor? || 4

Overview || 5Mentoring Through the Ranks || 5How Are Mentors and Protégés Paired? || 5The Three Limbs || 6Let’s Talk About Teaching || 6Carving Out Time For Research || 7How Much Service and What Kind || 7Collegiality: The Gorilla in the Room || 7Tips for Protégés || 8Tips for Mentors || 8

Suggested Schedule for Mentoring Activities || 9

Administrative Resources || 11

Teaching Resources || 11

Research Resources || 12Research Support Services || 12NEH Summer Stipend || 12 University Research Foundation || 13CCFA Faculty Research Grants || 13Institutional Review Board || 13 Travel to Professional Conferences, Exhibits and Performances || 13 Frequently Asked Questions || 14

Well, you’ve probably talked with the chair of your department and

maybe one or two colleagues about what comes next. You know

the duties and requirements and hopefully the expectations. Or

should. But as important as memorizing the job description is, you

also need to learn what success looks like and how to get there.

You need a mentor.

Mentor, as you may know, was the wise old geezer Odysseus asked

to look after his young son, Telemachus, when he set off on his long

adventure-filled journey around the world. In recent years, a mentor

has come to mean an experienced individual who shares wisdom and

knowledge with a less experienced one. A mentor may be a teacher,

colleague, role model, friend, or perhaps all of them rolled into one.

Congratulations!You’re a new professor in the College of Communication and Fine Arts at the University of Memphis.

So now what?

the university of memphis | 03

A mentor can show you the ropes – where the ropes are located andhow to untie the knots you willinevitably encounter.

Even if you’ve been teaching for a while as a

graduate student or adjunct, there are specific

institutional guidelines you will need to know in

order to develop as a full-fledged faculty member

and colleague. The College of Communication

and Fine Arts takes mentoring seriously. With this

guide, and your assigned faculty mentor, we aim

to give you a platform from which to launch your

academic career at the University of Memphis.

CCFA’s mentoring program is coordinated by the

Dean’s office and put into practice within each

individual unit. The department chair/director serves

as a de facto mentor to all faculty. He or she articulates

departmental values and expectations and evaluates

faculty performance on a yearly basis. But you will

want someone in addition to your “boss” to meet

with on a regular basis to talk about your teaching,

how your research is progressing, and what kinds

of service, and how much, you should be doing.

Why do I needa mentor?

ccfa mentoring guide | 04

Overview:Mentoring Through the Ranks

Mentoring takes different forms

at different points on an individu-

al’s professional path. In the early

years, having a guide to navigate

institutional policies and proce-

dures and ease the adjustment

to departmental and university

cultures is critical to a new faculty

member’s success. As a new faculty,

you need someone whom you can

confide in and ask questions about

collegiality and the often unspoken

protocols within a department. You

may also need direction in estab-

lishing a research agenda and de-

veloping an appropriately balanced

relationship among teaching,

research, and service. Just knowing

that there is someone in particu-

lar you can go to with problems

and questions can be a comfort.

If you’re on the tenure-track, the

third-year or mid-term review is

a significant milestone. Though

you will receive feedback each

year on your progress from your

department chair via the annual

faculty evaluations, the mid-ten-

ure review is conducted by the

senior faculty in your department

and their findings are sent up the

line to the Dean. At this junc-

ture, you should be given a clear

idea of how successfully you are

fulfilling expectations in teaching,

research and service. If there are

any glaring holes in your portfolio,

they will be addressed now. The

third year review is essentially

a trial run, a dress rehearsal for

tenure and promotion. Matters

of collegiality may be taken up at

this time especially if, as in some

departments, they are critical to the

departmental mission. Mentoring

through these years is intensely

individual and tailored to each

faculty member’s unique strengths.

Post-tenure, there continue to be

situations in which faculty require

guidance. How does one progress

toward full professor? When is the

right time to apply for promotion?

What are the opportunities and

drawbacks to taking on an administrative role?

How Are Mentors and Protégés Paired?

Department chairs or unit heads

are responsible for matching new

tenure-track faculty with a senior

faculty colleague, depending

on interests and temperament.

Typically, your mentor will be from

your own department and, ideally,

your area. But, this will not always

be the case and your mentor may

even be from a department in

another College. Realizing that

some situations don’t work out as

planned, department chairs will

review the mentoring arrange-

ment at intervals and adjust the

mentor/protégé assignments as

necessary. You should feel free to

talk to your department chair if

the relationship is not working.


Let’s Talk About Teaching

Make no mistake about it. Teaching

is important. Unless you are Nobel

Prize winning researcher, you

will not succeed as a university

professor unless you can prove

yourself in the classroom (or

studio, or lab). It’s taken for granted

that you are an expert in your

discipline. You have the degree

to prove it and would not have

been hired otherwise. But it’s also

essential that you can effectively

communicate what you know.

Initially, you will undoubtedly

spend a good deal of time working

on syllabi, preparing presentations

and materials, and honing your

teaching style. What you may

not have considered is how much

“housekeeping” is involved in

being a professor. Keeping track

of attendance, grading, holding

office hours, knowing where to

send students who need academic

help, or psychological counseling,

accommodating a student with a

disability, dealing with a disruptive

student or handling incidents of

academic misconduct – these are

all things that might keep you

awake at night during your first

couple of years. What you need

to know is that there is someone

– or some office – on campus to

help. There are also on-line and

on-ground resources to assist with

getting you up to speed on the

University’s e-courseware system

and putting your courses on-line.

The three limbs of a university appointment are teaching, research, and service.

The fourth, as anyone who has been there will tell you, is collegiality. In practice,

all of these areas overlap and often blend with one another. They are all important,

but some may take precedence during different times in your career. It’s up to you

to decide what takes priority and how you will divide your time among these

various concerns.

The Three Limbs


Carving Out Time for Research

The University of Memphis prides

itself on its Carnegie Classification

as a Research University with High

Levels of Research. If you’ve been

hired in a tenure-track line, you know

that you have been selected because

you have demonstrated a capacity

to do independent research. Find-

ing time to write and create amidst

the multiple demands of teaching,

service, and personal and family life

can be difficult. Carefully consider

how you will carve out a time, (early

morning, late at night, or one day a

week) to write or make art and keep it

sacrosanct.

The College of Communication and

Fine Arts values a wide range of

creative activities, academic research,

interdisciplinary and engaged schol-

arship. The University has set a target

of 100 million dollars in research

expenditures and will reward faculty

who are able to attract external fund-

ing for their endeavors. Whatever

your discipline and whatever your

practice, work with your mentor to

develop a research plan and

determine the ap-propriate number,

scope, quality and time frame for

your presentations, publications,

exhibitions, and performances. What

matters in the long run, is that your

research production follows a

sustained pattern of growth. You will

not win favor (or tenure) with a one

hit wonder, especially if it comes late

in the game.

How Much Service and What Kind

Most departments limit the service

responsibilities of new faculty. This

makes sense because you are still

finding your footing, establishing

your research priorities and honing

your teaching skills. But service is

an essential part of university life

and you might as well get used to it.

With luck, you will be able to work

on a committee or project in which

you make a valuable contribution

to the ongoing work of your depart-

ment, school, college, or university.

Community outreach is strongly

encouraged at the University and

some units have well-established

community partnerships. You will

probably be assigned a committee

(or maybe two depending on how

large your department is) during your

first year. Look at it as an opportuni-

ty to acquire valuable insights into

how things get done, and who gets

them done, at the University. Serivce

to state and national organizations

in your field is also highly valued

here. You should expect to take on

more responsibility as you become

more embedded in your role. Your

department chair is a great resource

for finding a service opportunity that

aligns with your skillset. If interested

in serving on a university commit-

tee, reach out to your department’s

faculty senator. There are always

university sub-committees that need

volunteers and these service oppor-

tunities can be a great way to develop

relationships with colleagues outside

of our college.

Collegiality: theGorilla in the Room

It’s not rocket science. Collegiality is

simply a matter of being a responsi-

ble, hard-working, reasonably conge-

nial co-worker. You are a member of

a community which functions best

when its members are interested in

and care for one another. There is,

alas, such a thing as departmental

politics. If you have concerns about

departmental conflicts or other mat-

ters, you are encouraged to discuss

them in confidence with your mentor.


Tips for Protégés

• Be proactive. At the end of the day, you are responsible

for your own career choices and professional decisions.

• Work with your mentor to establish regular meeting

times. Do not cancel except in case of an emergency.

• Share your values and goals with your mentor.

• Remember that no one person can provide all the

answers. Ask for help from others when applicable.

Build your network.

• Express your gratitude. Think about what you can do

for your mentor.

• Listen to your mentor’s wisdom and advice.

Tips for Mentors

• Work with your protégé to schedule regular appoint-

ments. Do not cancel except in the case of an emergency.

• Share your experiences, including your mistakes.

• Provide encouragement as well as advice to your protégé.

• Guide your protégé to other individuals when you don’t

have an answer.

• Make it clear that you can be trusted to keep your

conversations confidential.

• Listen to your protégés ideas and concerns.


August • New Faculty Orientation takes place the week before classes begin

• Meeting with mentor and protégé

• Discuss goals for fall semester

• Discuss Department tenure and promotion guidelines

• Begin to develop research agenda

• Discuss CCFA Faculty Research grants

• Apply for Graduate Faculty Status (if applicable)

September• CCFA New Faculty Luncheon with Dean and Associate Dean

• Professional Development for Mentors with Associate Dean

• Informal meeting with mentor and protégé

October• Informal meetings with mentor and protégé

• Submit mid-term grades via NavigateNovember• Informal meetings with mentor and protégé

December• Informal meeting with mentor and protégé.

• Prepare for annual faculty evaluation

• Review mid-tenure documents for those in 3rd year

(see CCFA website for guidance)

• For those in 3rd year:

• Compose and edit materials for mid-tenure review

January• Informal meeting with mentor and protégé.

• Review fall SETEs

• Review University of Memphis CV format

• Review next year faculty planning document

• Submit annual faculty evaluation

• For those in third year:

• Upload dossier for review

A suggestedschedule formentoring activities



February

• Informal meeting with mentor and protégé.

• Discuss faculty evaluation outcome

March• Meeting with Associate Dean and protégés to discuss tenure and promotion guide-

lines and evaluate mentorship program

• Submit mid-term grades via Navigate• Discuss external review for those applying for tenure and promotion in the fall

April• Mentor/Protégé meeting to assess progress and develop plans for

the next year

• For those applying for tenure and promotion in the fall:

• Submit external reviewer list to chair

• Upload materials for external review

May – August• Pursue Research interests

• Review Spring SETEs

• For those applying for tenure and promotion in the fall:

• Compose and edit materials for promotion and tenure

• Upload dossier materials in August


Faculty handbook: Everything you always wanted to know about faculty life

at the University of Memphis

https://www.memphis.edu/aa/resources/facres/facultyhandbook/docs/2019_faculty_handbook.pdf

Faculty CV: The required format for the University of Memphis Faculty Cur-

riculum Vitae can be found at:

http://www.memphis.edu/aa/resources/facres/cvinfo/index.php

Graduate Faculty Status: In order to teach graduate level courses and/or

serve on graduate committees, you must qualify for graduate faculty status.

Consult with your departmental graduate coordinator about which level you

should apply for.

http://www.memphis.edu/gradschool/resources/gfs_app_instructions.php

Annual Faculty Evaluations: Faculty are evaluated by department chairs on

a yearly basis early each spring semester. Chairs/directors should request

your input regarding activities and achievements.

http://www.memphis.edu/aa/resources/facres/facultyevaluation/index.php

SETE’s: Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness: Required for every

class and reviewed during yearly faculty evaluations.

http://www.memphis.edu/sete/index.php

eCourseware: This is the on-line course management system

(also known as D2L or Desire to Learn) used by the University of

Memphis. Each course you teach will have a “shell” on your MyMemphis

page. The following websites offer on-line and in-person training workshops

for faculty.

Center for Teaching and Learning

http://www.memphis.edu/umtech/teaching/index.php

(continued)

administrative resources:

teaching resources:

Faculty eCourseware Training Resources

http://www.memphis.edu/umtech/teaching/ecwfaculty.php

On-Line Teaching: If you are assigned to teach or develop a new course on-

line, the following resources are available.

On-line Course Development and Implementation

http://www.memphis.edu/instructionalimpact/design/index.php

Academic and Behavioral Misconduct: If you encounter student behavior

that is inconsistent with the University’s core values or that impede your

ability to function effectively in the classroom, you may request assistance

from the Office of Student Conduct.

http://www.memphis.edu/studentconduct/

Research Support Services: The Office of Research Support is available to

assist faculty in the development of proposals and budgets for

research grants.

http://www.memphis.edu/researchsupport/index.php

NEH Summer Stipend: The National Endowment for the Humanities

Summer Stipends provide $6,000 for two consecutive months of full-time

research and writing.

http://www.memphis.edu/rsp/development/summer_stipends/index.php

Research Investment Fund: Allocated fund to support research investments

designed to support cross-disciplinary collaborations.

http://www.memphis.edu/rsp/development/rif/index.php

(continued)

research resources:


teaching resources:


University Research Foundation: This University Research Foundation

facilitates the acquisition of sponsored research funds from public and

private sources and coordinates technology transfer, intellectual property

and other legal and fiscal matters.

http://www.memphis.edu/rsp/vice_president/research_foundation.php

CCFA Faculty Research Grants: The Faculty Research Grant is intended

to serve as seed money to establish your research agenda.

https://www.memphis.edu/ccfa/resources/faculty_staff/grants.php

Institutional Review Board: If your research involves the use of human

subjects, please consult the Institutional Review Board website.

http://www.memphis.edu/irb/index.php

Travel to Professional Conferences, Exhibits and Performances:

Each unit has a process for distributing available travel funds to assist

faculty who are giving papers, lectures, workshops and performances

that promote professional development and bring recognition to

the University. Ask your mentor, department chair, or departmental

administrative assistant about deadlines and to help you develop a

budget, fill out a request, make travel plans, and fill out a travel claim for

reimbursement.

research resources:

I’d like to teach a course on a

topic of special interest not

currently in the curriculum.

How do I go about it?

Discuss your ideas with you mentor

and your department chair. With

their advice, develop a syllabus and

submit it via Curriculog (memphis.curriculog.com) to your chair and/or the head of your

curriculum committee early in the

semester prior to offering the

course. After a special topics

course has been offered for three

semesters, it should be proposed as

a permanent course in the

curriculum.

How do I handle Plagiarism or

other incidents of Academic

Misconduct?

Most professors have a boiler plate

statement on their syllabi inform-

ing students that plagiarism and

cheating violate the University’s

code of conduct and that any

breach of academic integrity will

result in sanctions. The reporting

process is quite clear and it’s ex-

tremely important that you follow

up on each case of plagiarism that

you encounter. If you do not do

so, it’s possible that a student will

accumulate multiple infractions in

different courses before he or she

is called to account. Remember

the aphorism: “No good deed goes

unpunished.” The procedures for

dealing with academic miscon-

duct are a) summary discipline, a

process that involves the student,

the instructor, and the department

chair or b) deferring disciplinary

action to an academic integrity

committee. Please consult the Of-

fice of Student Conduct website for

specific instructions. http://www. memphis.edu/saos/sa/faculty.php

Frequently asked questions


I have a student who is

disruptive. What can I do?

Behavior that damages the learn-

ing environment does not have

to be tolerated. Do make your

policies regarding use of electronic

devices clear on your syllabus and

establish guidelines for respectful

civil discourse in the classroom. A

student who is exhibiting disrup-

tive behavior (outbursts, threats,

bullying, harassment, etc.) may be

asked to leave the classroom. If

the behavior continues, you should

bring it to the attention of your

department chair and the Office

of Student Conduct. http://www.

memphis.edu/studentconduct/

One of my students exhibits

signs of being disturbed,

perhaps even dangerous. What

should I do?

If you feel there is an immediate

threat, call Police Services at

678-2187 or call 911.

Behavioral norms in the Arts are

often more pliable than in other

areas. Nevertheless, if you become

concerned about serious behavioral

or mental health issues in one of

your students, do not hesitate to

contact the University’s Behavioral

Intervention Team (BIT). http://

www.memphis.edu/bit/index.htm

For less serious mental health

issues, the University Counseling

Center has a wide range of services

including psychiatric counseling,

stress management, and suicide

prevention. http://www.memphis.

edu/cpcc/

A student has confided in me

that he/she is a victim of sexual

assault. Where can I send him/

her for counseling or to make

a report with the Title IX office

and/or police?

The following information is from

the University Counseling Center’s

website on sexual assault and

rape: “If you or someone you know

has been assaulted, contact the

Counseling Center at 678-2068

and/or Police Services at 678-4357.

If you are in the Memphis area,


frequently asked questions (cont’d)

you may contact the Rape Crisis

Center at 901-222-4350. Sexual

Assault Prevention and Awareness

Center 24-Hour Hotline 1-800-

656-HOPE.” More information is

available at the following links:

University Police: http://www.

memphis.edu/police/incidents/

sexoffenses.php, the University

Counseling Center: http://

www.memphis.edu/counseling/

resources/sexual-assault-rape.php

, and Office of Institutional Equity

- Title IX and Sexual Misconduct

http://www.memphis.edu/oie/

title9/index.php

What do I do if I am sick and can-

not meet a class? What if I must

miss class for some other rea-

son – conference presentation,

religious holiday, etc.?

You can read the official policy in

the faculty handbook: https://www.memphis.edu/aa/resources/facres/facultyhandbook/docs/2019_faculty_handbook.pdf. It boils down to this: If your

absence is unanticipated, notify

your department chair, or her

designee, who will make

emergency arrangements. If

you know you will be away for

a conference presentation,

religious holiday, or other

reason, you must cover your

class in some manner. Let

your supervisor know and fill out

the appropriate paper work. If it’s

going to be an extended absence,

let’s just say we’ll cross that bridge

when we come to it.

How do I get my teaching

evaluated?

Each instructional unit has

guidelines and criteria for

evaluating teaching effectiveness.

They include student evaluations,

syllabi and other course materials,

peer evaluations, student products,

and statements of teaching

philosophy. Remember that

teaching takes place in different

contexts, not only in the classroom,

but in the rehearsal studio, in

field research, in interdisciplinary

settings and through mentoring

and advising. The onus, it should

be emphasized, is on you to

develop a portfolio with adequate



documentation and to invite your

colleagues to visit your classroom

presentations and provide feedback.

If parents ask questions about stu-

dents, what can I tell them?

Great question! Essentially there is

nothing except the weather that you

can disclose to parents of college

age students. FERPA, the Family

Educational Rights and Privacy Act,

protects students’ privacy and re-

stricts third party access to their ed-

ucational records. You are required

to take the FERPA tutorial. It can

be found on the Registrar’s website:

http://www.memphis.edu/registrar/

faculty/ferpa.htm

I have a couple of questions about

grades. What is the process for

changing grades? What’s the pro-

cess for resolving a grade dispute?

To change a grade, faculty should access the Faculty Grade Change Application that is available on the Faculty page in the myMemphis portal. Look for the Grade Changes portlet. (myuofm.memphis.edu)

Grade appeals, on the other hand,

are messy and take up a lot of time.

You can avoid them by making your

grading criteria clear at the outset of

your course, giving students fre-

quent feedback, and being consis-

tent. If a student decides to appeal a

grade, the process is laid out in ex-

cruciating detail in both the under-

graduate and graduate bulletins. As

with other procedures, it moves up

the chain – from the instructor, to the

department chair, to the dean, and fi-

nally to an appeals committee for re-

view. Most grade appeals are settled,

though not usually to both parties’

satisfaction, at the department level.

http://www.memphis.edu/ugcatalog/

acad_reg/ug_grade_appeal.php, or

https://www.memphis.edu/gradcat-

alog/gradeappeals.php

How does this university work?

The University of Memphis is a

large, complex organization. There

are offices within areas, within



departments, within colleges, within

divisions, – you get the idea. Like

Russian nesting dolls. The Division

of Academic Affairs ( http://www.

memphis.edu/aa/ ) is where you

fit in – and your colleagues, your

students, and your department. The

Division of Business and Finance

(http://bf.memphis.edu) includes

Physical Plant, Human Resources,

Parking, and Police Services. In the

Division of Student Affairs (http://

www.memphis.edu/studentaffairs/

) you will find the Office of Student

Conduct, Student Housing, and

Campus Recreation. The Office of

The President coordinates all the

functions of the University and re-

ports to the Board of Visitors and the

Board of Trustees.

What is shared governance?

Shared governance means that all

members of the community – faculty,

staff, students, and administrators

have a voice in the decision-making

process. It’s a flexible concept

that changes in practice from one

institution to another and from time

to time within the same institution.

At the University of Memphis, the

faculty senate (http://www.memphis.

edu/facultysenate/ ) is the primary

vehicle for the representation

of faculty opinion.

Who do I talk to about writing a

grant?

The first person you should consult

about applying for grants is your

mentor, especially if he or she is an

active researcher. Next, you might

seek out someone in your own

department who has been successful

in acquiring grants. You will need to

identify granting agencies that fund

projects in your discipline through

your professional organizations and

networks. Data bases with research

opportunities can be researched

through the University’s Office of

Research Support Services. RSS also

provides assistance in proposal and

budget development and workshops

and tutorials in grant writing. http://

www.memphis.edu/researchsup-port/

index.php Once you have a proposal

draft, schedule a meeting with the

CCFA Business Officer, Merlina Conley ([email protected]) to review your proposed budget.



The College of Communication and Fine ArtsAnne Hogan, Dean

Ryan Fisher, Associate Dean

Dean’s Office: Room 232, Communication and Fine Arts Building

Phone: 678-2350

THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS— Herbie Hancock (Grammy Award winning musician, composer, and band...

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